AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers Group E: India lead after 14-0 win; Malaysia beat Syria 1-0

India defeated Iraq 14-0 in the opening Group E fixture in Malaysia at the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers on 5th October, 2026, while hosts Malaysia secured a 1-0 victory over Syria in the other group match on the same day.

Matchday one saw India overwhelmingly outscore Iraq, producing the group’s largest margin, and the other fixture between Malaysia and Syria remained tight with few goals; both results came in Group E in Malaysia on 5th October, 2026. India’s 14-0 result was the nation’s largest winning margin since a 12-0 victory over Sri Lanka in 2018 during the SAFF Championships. The Malaysia–Syria game produced a single late goal and featured multiple scoring opportunities for both sides. The qualifiers are being contested in Group E in Malaysia.

A total of eight different players found the net for India in the 14-0 win. The goal scorers for India were Anushka Kumari, Thandamoni Baskey, Silky Devi Sorokhaibam, Nira Chanu Longjam, Pritika Barman, Abhista Basnett, Joya Kabul Hasan and Alva Devi Senjam. Anushka Kumari finished the match with five goals.

Malaysia’s 1-0 victory over Syria was settled by a 79th-minute strike from substitute Qaseh Riana. The goal came from a cross delivered by Lim You, described as the team’s left back, who crossed the ball from the left side of the pitch. The match remained closely contested throughout, with both teams creating multiple chances at goal.

The Group E points table places India first with 1 win, 3 points and a goal difference of +14. Malaysia sit second with 1 win, 3 points and a goal difference of +1, leaving India ahead on goal difference after matchday one. Both teams therefore have three points following their opening fixtures in Group E.

The match report also states, "The match recorded India’s highest win in an AFC tournament back in 2014 against UAE in the 2015 U-16 2015 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship." Matchday one overall saw India completely overwhelm Iraq, while the other group match remained closely fought with both sides having multiple opportunities to score.

India’s next Group E fixture is scheduled for 8th October against Syria, with the match scheduled to start at 1:00 PM IST.